1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to an optical, high-speed image processing apparatus, and more particularly to an all optical image processing and pattern recognition apparatus using stimulated photon echoes, which can process quickly a number of pieces of image information in real time.
2Background Art
High-speed real time processing of two-dimensional images has a variety of applications in which large numbers of images must be stored and analyzed. These include robotic vision, satellite remote sensing, medical image analysis, artificial intelligence and pattern recognition. Optical image processing is promising for two principal reasons: parallel processing capability and potentially ultrafast speed. Among the existing techniques for two-dimensional image processing is a stimulated photon echo technique in conjunction with optical Fourier transformation.